With one foot firmly planted in music’s past and the other boldly pushing forward into its future Tamara Rickett’s unique, sexy and bluesy voice combined with her inventive and wilful song writing style makes her debut album “Better Use of Me” a highlight on the musical horizon in 2011.
With influences ranging from Billie Holiday to Heernt to Joni Mitchell, Tamara combines a great talent for songwriting with the gift of wrenching all emotion from her songs – a true raconteur; she focuses her direction for the listener to really feel the story. Tamara’s love of the blues is clear throughout her debut album (due for release eventually, waiting for the money).
With harmonic and lyrical references to standard repertoire, song forms that range from the 'conventional' to the 'unusual', the use of improvisation and instrumentation that includes piano, rhodes, wurlitzer, guitar, trombone, trumpet, saxophone and backing vocals, Tamara’s album “Better Use of Me” represents a 'tipping of the hat' to her influences yet remains distinctly unique.
Always wanting to sing, Tamara began her studies in Jazz at The University of Auckland in 2005. This allowed her to gain an insight for not only the technical aspects of jazz singing and composition but also an understanding of the social context and history in which this music developed and subsequently its importance as the starting point for what we now term 'popular music'. Falling in love with the jazz repertoire Tamara fell most heavily for the vocal stylings and songs of Billie Holiday – an influence which is clearly heard in both her own voice and her compositions. A blues heavy writer, Tamara lives by the motto ‘Beauty in Simplicity.’ “I try to focus on the emotion in a song – sometimes it’s nice to rest on one progression and really wring all you can from it.”
Assembling her band in mid 2008 Tamara was able to surround herself with some of Auckland’s top young ‘up and coming musicians’ including Cass Mitchell (The Shades, One Million Dollars), Finn Scholes (The Mamaku Project, The Shades, One Million Dollars), Matt Ledingham (Dr. Colossus, Toad), and Simon Walker (Dr. Colossus, The Mamaku Project).. “The band is astounding….their honesty and musical integrity makes this album what it is…”. Tamara, along with band mate and producer Simon Walker began recording in July of 2008. A self-funded, self-produced affair “Better Use of Me” was recorded in two parts as the songs came to fruition. Recorded and mixed at her home and at The University of Auckland’s Kenneth Myers Centre the album is the complete realization of her compositions full potential whilst at the same time respecting the importance of providing a platform of self expression for her band. “Improvisation is essential” notes Tamara, “it is always very important to me that the band is able to impart their ideas and influences and feel free to express themselves, I’m very lucky to have players that are very aware of where I am coming from and yet are able to convey their uniqueness over my compositions in a very musical way”. In addition to her own band “Better Use of Me” also features guest appearances from the uber talented Jazz virtuosos Oliver Emmit (trombone) and Steven Barry (piano), as well as one of Australasia’s best saxophonists Roger Manins.
As the release date draws nearer, Tamara is excited about what lies ahead for her and her crew of bright young things. “I love this. I love what I do, and I can’t wait to share this music”.